Kansas Municipal News
Wichita and Sedgwick County leaders excited about Integra chip plant announcement
Local leaders are calling Gov. Laura Kelly’s announcement of Integra Technologies’ $1.8 billion investment a critical first step to bringing a semiconductor plant to Wichita. They are stressing the fact nothing is guaranteed just yet. “We’ve been working on this behind the scenes for years now,” Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple said. Mayor Whipple was in Topeka Thursday to take part in Gov. Kelly’s announcement. … “The amount of space that they plan on building is really just transformational for our economy, so it’s not easy to find that amount of space right off the bat, so we are working with our economic development team,” Mayor Whipple said. Construction of the plant can only begin if federal CHIPS Act funding is approved. In order for Integra Technologies to apply for that funding, the company needs state and local incentive packages in place.
Source: KSN-TV
Municipal Bond Trends for February 2, 2023
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman, Beth Warren and Henry Schmidt.
Kechi residents to vote on sales tax increase to fund Arts and Business District plan
Karg Art Glass has been on the northwest corner of 61st and Oliver in Kechi since 2003. Its owner, Rollin Karg, has lived in the city for over 30 years. He’s noticed the city has “gotten a lot bigger in the last couple of years. So seems like we’re losing some of that small-town thing, which is not a bad thing. It’s going to happen anyway, when Wichita does come in this way, eventually, it’s just going to be one big city.” The city of Kechi wants to take advantage of the growth Karg is seeing. It has proposed improvements to the intersection and surrounding area around 61st and Oliver to create what it’s calling an arts and business district. Kechi city administrator Kamme Sroufe says creating a sort of downtown district like this “just creates a sense of community. It gives us one common place where we can all gather and communicate and interact with each other.”
Source: KAKE – News
Saline County zeros in on vision for the future
A three-hour work session went on to spell out what the Saline County Commissioners want to work on and provide to the community during their tenure. They honed in on key focus areas which encompass different goals, each working toward a broader discussion Tuesday about the culture of local government in Saline County. Five key focus areas the commission collectively agreed upon include: county workforce, communication and outreach, working relationships, physical and economic health, and service and infrastructure.
Source: Salina Journal
Governor Kelly Announces Integra Technologies to Invest $1.8B, Create Nearly 2,000 Jobs with Wichita Semiconductor Plant
Today, Governor Laura Kelly announced Kansas-based Integra Technologies plans to invest $1.8 billion in a large-scale semiconductor facility in Wichita. This is the second-largest private investment in Kansas history. The facility will establish Wichita as integral to a national effort to reshore semiconductor manufacturing capacity and strengthen national security. Employee-owned Integra is a fully integrated provider of semiconductor packaging, testing, qualification, and other services. The 1 million square-foot plant and headquarters facility will create nearly 2,000 high-paying jobs averaging $51,000 in wages. A Wichita State University economic impact study estimates an additional 3,161 jobs will be generated by suppliers, construction labor, and other service positions. “As the second-largest private investment in Kansas history, this project will be transformative for our state’s economy, providing over 5,000 high-paying jobs that will help more Kansans create better lives for themselves and their children,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Integra’s investment is further proof that we have put Kansas on the map, establishing our state on the forefront of innovation and national security.”
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Dodge City warning of an uptick in cases of canine distemper
The City of Dodge City is warning the public about an uptick in cases of canine distemper in Ford County. The City says symptoms of canine distemper include: Crusty eyes, Green snotty noses, No appetite, Other respiratory symptoms. “If you notice that your dog has any of these particular symptoms, it is essential to separate them from other canines, contact your veterinarian for guidance, and continue monitoring them,” Dodge City says. The best way to combat the virus is to vaccinate your canines against distemper, according to the City.
Source: KSN-TV
Garden City police officers receive lifesaving awards
Three Garden City police officers have received lifesaving awards after saving the life of a stabbing victim. It happened on Sept. 1, 2022, in the early morning hours when police were called to the 1200 block of E Chestnut St in Garden City for an EMS assist. Inside, they found a 27-year-old woman with multiple stab wounds from a domestic violence incident. Officers Andrew Cavalier, PJ Foster, and Manuel Govea immediately began lifesaving measures by applying pressure, packing her wounds to stop the bleeding, and continually speaking with her.
Source: KSN-TV
LKM announces new executive director
The League of Kansas Municipalities has hired Nathan Eberline as Executive Director. … Nathan Eberline worked at the League of Kansas Municipalities from 2007 to 2011 as the Intergovernmental Relations Associate. He then served as the Associate Legislative Director and Legal Counsel for the Kansas Association of Counties from 2011 to 2018. Most recently, Nathan served as the Vice President of Operations at the Accreditation Council for Business Schools & Programs (ACBSP) in Overland Park, Kansas since 2018. ACBSP is a non-profit, specialized accreditor in higher education with members around the globe and a focus on teaching excellence.
Source: LKM
City of Wichita rolls out system for residents to receive boil water advisory alerts
The City of Wichita is rolling out a better way for residents can find out if there is a boil water advisory in the area. According to the City of Wichita Communications Manager Tyler Schiffelbein, back in October of 2021, Wichita received its first boil water advisory in about 20 years. That’s when the City found a “gap” in the system. “We didn’t have a good way to reach all of our water customers in an emergency in a timely manner, so after that, we started looking into options that we could notify all of our customers via email, text, voicemail that sort of thing,” said Schiffelbein.
Source: KSN-TV
Lawmakers presented data showing electric rates gradually declining
With a battle developing over utility regulation, new data shows Kansas has seen a gradual decline in electric rates over a six-year period. Justin Grady, of the Kansas Corporation Commission’s utilities division, briefed the House utilities committee on federal data showing that average Kansas electric rates declined 0.19% from 2016 to 2021. Kansas was only one of two states in the Midwest that saw a decline in average electric rates during the six-year period for which data was collected from the Energy Information Administration.
Source: Sunflower State Journal
Douglas County approves permits to install devices that gauge the viability of a future wind energy project on southwestern county properties
Despite protests from a room full of dozens of Douglas County residents, county leaders on Wednesday approved permits for an out-of-state energy firm to install devices on properties scattered around southwestern Douglas County that gauge the viability of a future wind energy project. The decisions — taken in five separate votes by the Douglas County Commission at its meeting Wednesday night — followed more than two hours of cumulative public comment mostly from about 20 people who said they live in the southwestern portion of Douglas County. That’s an area Florida-based NextEra Energy Resources has previously confirmed it’s exploring as a potential site for developing a large-scale wind project.
Source: LJWorld
Municipal Bond Trends for February 1, 2023
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman, Beth Warren and Henry Schmidt.
Fed Slows Its Tightening With Quarter-Point Interest Rate Rise; signals plans to increase interest rates again in March
The Federal Reserve nudged up short-term interest rates by a quarter-percentage point and signaled it was on track to do so again at its meeting next month while officials consider whether and when to pause increases late this spring. The decision Wednesday to raise the Fed’s benchmark federal-funds rate followed six larger, consecutive increases to combat inflation, which hit a 40-year high last year. Officials raised rates by a half point in December and by 0.75 point in November. Officials agreed to slow rate rises to gain more time to study the effects of their moves. “We’re talking about a couple of more rate hikes to get to that level we think is appropriately restrictive,” Fed Chair Jerome Powell said at a news conference after the central bank’s policy meeting.
Source: Wall Street Journal
Hutchinson shelter expands hours
NOEL Lodge, a non-profit emergency shelter serving the people without homes, recently expanded their hours to accommodate people needing assistance. The facility, located at 200 W. 6th Street, operates two first-come, first-served sessions. The daytime session runs 7 am-3:30 pm and the nighttime session from 4 pm-7 am. With 25 beds available, NOEL is operating at capacity. President and CEO Shara Gonzales noted several factors are causing an increase in the number of people needing the emergency shelter’s services. “We are looking at new people falling into homelessness. The cost of living, insurance, and property tax has all gone up. People’s rent has been raised. Affordability is falling away,” she said.
Source: Hutch News
Topeka leaders say the local homeless situation is spiraling
Volunteers counted 365 unsheltered people last year in Topeka during the annual Point in Time Homeless Count. Meanwhile, one chronically homeless person costs taxpayers an average of more than $35,000 a year, says the National Alliance to End Homelessness. Multiply those and the total is $12.78 million. Compare that to the roughly $76,000 Topeka’s city government is considering paying a consultant to help the city better deal with homelessness and “that $76,000 is a pretty small number,” said city manager Stephen Wade.
Source: CJonline
Harvey County commissioners open to revisiting wind regulations
Justin Stucky, chairman of the Harvey County Planning Commission, told commissioners that he was concerned about their decision to reduce the setbacks from 1,500 feet to 1,000 feet for wind turbines. He said he was speaking for himself but added that their action in October “undermined the whole reason for having a planning and zoning board. These are decisions that will affect the county for many years.” Stucky asked commissioners to reopen the renewable energy regulations for discussion. He asked Commissioner Don Schroeder to add the topic for discussion at the next meeting. He said the county had plenty of time to review commissioners’ changes with a moratorium, by getting the planning commission involved or a countywide vote.
Source: Harvey County Now
Fire near Bentley lasts for over two years
The end is coming for a fire that the Sedgwick County Fire Prevention (SCFP) and Bentley and Valley Center Fire Departments have been fighting for over two years. In late 2020, a local landowner purchased material from an ethanol plant in Colwich and had it delivered to his land around 101st Street and 119th Street West, according to Fire Marshal Brad Crisp of the Sedgwick County Fire Prevention. Crisp said he believed the intention was to use the ash as some sort of mineral supplement for the farmland, but it contained a lot of metal and had some combustion going on within the pile, which he estimated as being 20-25 feet wide and at least that high.
Source: Harvey County Now
Sedgwick to double its Flock camera coverage
Sedgwick has two more Flock cameras coming, probably sometime in March, according to Police Chief Lee Nygaard. He said the addition of the cameras is to complete the city’s coverage of its four major roadways to and from town. A year ago, Sedgwick installed the Flock cameras on 125th Street heading east and on South Ridge Road. The two new cameras will cover the roads going north and west. Nygaard said it was former Police Chief Brian Daily’s plan from the beginning to get the added coverage of four cameras.
Source: Harvey County Now
Halstead and North Newton receive SEED grant
The cities of Halstead and North Newton worked together to submit a successful SEED Grant application and soon North Newton park will see new shade structures, the Halstead Public Library will have new carpeting, and the Kansas Learning Center for Health (KLCH) will install new exercise equipment as a result of the cooperation. Halstead City Manager Ethan Reimer said the SEED grants were only going to be awarded one per county so Halstead and North Newton negotiated a way to come together instead of competing for the limited grant money. “We thought it was better and more in the spirit, and help the overall county if all of us got a little bit instead of them asking for $50,000 directly and us asking for $50,000 directly,” Reimer said. “Everyone that had a project that might qualify, we all got together and compromised and came to a mutual agreement when that application was put in.”
Source: Harvey County Now
Peabody goes after $3 million in grant money
Twenty-nine property owners in Peabody’s historic district, Sunflower Theatre, and the city of Peabody have applied for nearly $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act money funneled through the Kansas Department of Commerce. City council members signed off Monday night on the city’s own request for $725,000 for sidewalks and lampposts. Requests also were approved by the Peabody Main Street Association. Jonathan Clayton, who works for the Commerce Department, helped guide Peabody’s application for the Building a Stronger Economy 2.0 grant, the second round of funding. He did so on his own, independent of his job, and at no cost, he said.
Source: HILLSBORO Star-Journal